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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
LITIGATION AND REGULATORY ACTIONS

From time to time, we are subject to legal and regulatory actions relating to our business. We may incur defense costs, including attorneys' fees, and other direct litigation costs associated with defending claims. If we suffer an adverse judgment as a result of litigation claims, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Trade Secret Lawsuit

In the first quarter of 2024, a jury trial was held in the “trade secret lawsuit”. The trade secret lawsuit was filed in 2018 by Citizens, CICA Life Ltd. (Bermuda) and CICA Life Insurance Company of America (collectively, the “Citizens Companies,” “we,” "us" or "our") against certain former employees and independent consultants who we alleged unlawfully took Citizens’ confidential information in order to unfairly compete with us. Our claims against these parties included various unfair competition, tortious interference, breach of contract and other related claims.

In March 2024, the jury found that (i) Defendant Carlos Nalsen Landa (“Landa”), a former independent consultant, misappropriated the Citizens’ Companies' policyholder information, (ii) Citizens’ former chief underwriter, Michael P. Buchweitz (“Buchweitz”) and Randall Riley (“Riley”), a former Citizens executive and son of Citizens’ founder Harold E. Riley, failed to comply with their Citizens’ confidentiality agreements, and (iii) both Buchweitz and Riley intentionally interfered with former Chief Actuary Jonathan Pollio’s ("Pollio") Citizens’ confidentiality agreement. For Buchweitz, the jury also found that he did not have a good faith belief that he was acting in the bona fide exercise of his own rights when he interfered with Pollio’s Citizens’ confidentiality agreement. Despite these findings, the jury did not believe that the above-mentioned actions damaged the Citizens Companies economically and thus did not assess any monetary damages against any of the above parties. Additionally, the jury found that Citizens should
pay Alexis Delgado (“Delgado”, a former independent consultant) and Landa approximately $1.3 million for “money had and received”, an equitable theory that claimed that the Citizens Companies would be unjustly enriched if they didn’t pay past and future commissions to Delgado and Landa. We accrued this expense at December 31, 2023.

On April 30, 2024, Defendants Riley (through his estate), Buchweitz and Delgado filed a motion against the Citizens Companies seeking payment of legal fees and a hearing was held on these matters on May 21, 2024. On July 26, 2024, the trial court awarded Riley and Buchweitz approximately $3.5 million of their legal fees. We accrued this expense in the quarter ended June 30, 2024.

We do not believe the jury properly found that Delgado or Landa were entitled to any prior or future commissions as there was no evidence that we actually held any amount of commissions that they claim they should have received. We also do not believe that Riley or Buchweitz are entitled to legal fees because they were found to have breached the contracts whose fee shifting provisions they sought to invoke.

We have not paid any amounts to Delgado, Landa, Riley, Buchweitz or any of their attorneys and intend to appeal the judgment against us. We purchased and filed an appeal bond in September 2024 to supercede enforcement of the judgment during the appeal process. If we aren't successful in our appeal, we may have to pay approximately $5 million as a result of the trade secret lawsuit. The accrued amounts are reflected as "other liabilities" on our balance sheet. Additionally, $1.3 million that is reported in cash and cash equivalents on our balance sheet is restricted while the appeal bond remains in place.

CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

As of September 30, 2024, CICA International is committed to fund investments up to $18.1 million related to limited partnerships previously described.

CREDIT FACILITY

On May 3, 2024, the Company renewed its $20 million senior secured revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) with Regions Bank ("Regions"). The Credit Facility has a three-year term, maturing on May 5, 2027, and allows the Company to borrow up to $20 million for working capital purposes, capital expenditures and other corporate purposes.

Revolving loans may be requested by the Company in aggregate minimum principal amounts of $0.5 million per loan. At the Company's election, the revolving loans may either bear a rate (a fluctuating rate per annum) equal to the greatest of (a) Regions' prime rate, (b) the federal funds rate plus 0.50%, (c) the index rate plus 1.00% or (d) 0.75%. The Company is required to pay Regions an annual commitment fee of 0.375% of the unused portion of the Credit Facility in quarterly installments, which the Company expenses as it is incurred.

Obligations under the Credit Facility are secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company other than the equity interests in its subsidiaries, real estate owned by the Company, and other limited exceptions. The Credit Facility contains customary events of default and financial, affirmative and negative covenants, including but not limited to restrictions on indebtedness, liens, investments, asset dispositions and restricted payments. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had not borrowed any funds against the Credit Facility and was not in violation of any covenants.